Peter Gallagher is an American actor, musician, and writer, who has played many notable roles in numerous Hollywood films and television since 1980.
On television, Gallagher starred as Mitch in two seasons of NBC’s new musical series, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” alongside Jane Levy, Lauren Graham, Mary Steenburgen and Skylar Astin. Gallagher has been recurring opposite Jane Fonda for five seasons of Netflix’s longest-running original television series “Grace & Frankie.” Four episodes of season seven have been streamed and the remainder of the seventh and last season will be released early in 2022. Later this year, Gallagher will join the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy” in a major arc where he will play Dr. Alan Hamilton, who shares a history with Dr. Ellis Grey, the late mother of Meredith Grey. Dr. Hamilton’s path will cross Meredith’s in the season 18 premiere.
Gallagher starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series “The O.C.” from 2003 to 2007, had a recurring role as Deputy Chief William Dodds on “Law & Order: SUV,” appeared as Arthur Campbell, CIA boss on “Covert Affairs,” and Dean Stacey Koons in “Californication." He has guest-starred on favorites such as “The Conners,” “New Girl,” “The Good Wife,” “How I Met Your Mother” and “Rescue Me.” Other notable television includes “The Caine Mutiny Court Martial” directed by Robert Altman.
In film, Gallagher can be seen in this year’s Sundance hit Palm Springs starring Andy Samberg. Gallagher made his debut in Taylor Hackford’s The Idolmaker and has been in many films since, including Sex, Lies & Videtape and The Underneath directed by Steven Soderbergh, The Player and Short Cuts directed by Robert Altman, which received a Golden Globe in 1993. Gallagher received a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role as Buddy Kane in the Academy Award® winning American Beauty. Additional credits include Dreamchild, The Hudsucker Proxy, While You Were Sleeping, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, The Man Who Knew Too Little, Center Stage and Mr. Deeds.
His theatre credits include the original Broadway production of Grease as Danny Zuko and award-winning Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls (receiving a Drama Desk nomination), Long Day’s Journey Into Night (with Jack Lemmon and receiving a Tony Award nomination), The Corn is Green (with Cicely Tyson and receiving a Theatre World Award), Noises Off, On the Twentieth Century, A Doll’s Life directed by Hal Prince, The Real Thing (Clarence Derwent Award) and The Country Girl both directed by Mike Nichols.
